Rotary steam engine



O. F. JENSEN ROTARY STEAM ENGINE Filed Sept. 25, 1942 mls [L VIII.

INVENTORQ oz V/f ff JE/vJE/v mi, #m

ATTORNEY5 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. .9, 1945. 4 Q F, JEKNSEN 2,386,318

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE` Filed Sept. 25, 1942 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 n by 9 54 ha l0 A ATTORNEYS IN VENTOR.

Patented Oct. 9, 1945 `mientenV PA'rENrr ofFFice.

STEAMsE-NGINE Oluf F: Jensen, Council'luls, Iowa Application-'September 25., 1942; Serial TNO: 459,'2'031V SIaims.

' This invention .relatestotafsteam engine, more particularh7` aF rotary: steam: engine usi-ng vvaned: rotors andi a: rotating@y valve adaptedr toe critical adjustment :ineorderf to` obtain# flexible operation o-ffan essentiallvfhigh:speedienginee l Therprincipal olrjectf-ofmy inventionis to-Lprovide;- a high: speed"l rotary-stea-mVA engine f which` is ilexi'lelefin ope-rationand" eili'oient in theuseP of steamzpressuree Anotherrobjeet ofmy inventions to provide airotaryfsteanr engine in-Wliic-:lithe-rotors thereof'- will atla'llltimesmaintain'a tight' sealed rela-tionshipilaetween1 eacl r1otlierzl AL stillifurtlierfobiectiof mv/invention islto provide airotaiwsteafm' engine having-an acl-'missionA valve,l simple-and durableeinconstruction; which willfaceuratelvrandpositively admit/steam tothe engineeatitlfie samelpointfduring ea'eli irevolution;

A still furthe-r objeetfof-my Yir'rventiondsfto-prro Videla` rotary 'steam feng-inechaving af valve-1 which will aceurately-tirne-the:durationofthe admission onsteam:

Alstill .lfurth'er yolaect of -my-inventiongisfto pro'- mayebeequiclely adjustedtoincreaseandidecrease the pressureetowhich'lthe engine A-is subjectedV Gtherf and urther -features and* objects" of my invention will: loef4 more -apparentvto those` skilled infthe arti uponfconside-ration of fthe-accompany? ingfdrafwings Aand followingspecifications; wiieTein isscii'selcsedsaJ single exemplary 'embodiment'of the' invention, with-.the:understaneling;` however; that such-.changes=may:be made thereinsas :fagllwithir'r the scopefoftlie appended claims; Without departingsfromtHe'sp-rit of -itlie invention:

In saididrawings:l Y

Figure-J1iis=afcrossssectionaView taken through the center of my engine.

FgureZis alliottomsectiona'lview ofa portion offmy enginefsliowingvthe -va'lve-openingszand "the valver ports(v Figuren iis=anotlier:plan-viewsoffthe Valilesleeve used in my rotary-engine; more fully illustr ating its structure.

Figure' 5" is a; cross-:sectional end View. 0f my engine taken on'line 5"-5' offFigure 1.

Figure 6 is a; perspective View of..aportionfot= the valve sleeve to moreifully, illustratethenature of-thefvalveopening.

Figure '7 is a perspectivevievsnofalvalvasleeve illustrating: a modied .form of A Valveeop er-ring.;y

Figure 8.. is a crossesectionaltV sideelevation` oil the end-portion of" the valve sleeve to more fuliy-` illustrat'eitheL-meansf'forfA attaching the longitudinal con'trol rod 1-to the-valve.

Figure 921s anend view of my valve to illustrate theslide means usedtoimpart rotary motionto is'utilized inrovercoming'the dead-Weight of the pistonJ to alter its: direction of travel. For this reason thegeiciency of such'an engine; in relationto the amountof vsteam required for its 0p,.-

eration,- is low andithe engine must run at a.. relatively, 10W. rate of speed.

My engine. is completely, rotary, in movement and does..no.t at any point duplicate the deadcenter position of theconventional reciprocating engine. The rotors move only in one direction andgthus the power impulse of each steam admission ,is carriedforward .to the next cycle and. thus. greater eiciencv inthe. utilization ofsteam is obtained. For this reason.my engine is also capable of substantially high speedoperation, much higher than that of the conventional reciprocating engine. Furthermore, since the movement is entirely rotary, the motion may be conveved, Withoutmuch loss .of power, to rotarymechanisms such as boat propellers, electrical generators and the like:

Other rotary steam engines .have been devised but theyhave iailedin operation because they` have attempted t0 utilize valve structures which are adaptable tothe. usual low speed reciprocating steam engine and therefore are notparticularlysensitive or flexible. It.. is apparenti that the. p .ower` impulses ina rotary engineare cumulative. Thus a valve.A capable of close regulation is necessary., I have provided such a valve.

I- have provided a rotary steam engine which overcomes the disadvantages 'heretofore related, as vvillfbe appreciated and as Will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

Referring?new:l to the drawingsmore particularly.: toiFigure l; I have used' the numeral' lill to indicate the main portion ofr mvengine; a spaeer plate having; integrally. yformed :therewith tweev housings I I Land; IZLenclosed1 Withwface, plates I3 and I4. Each housing consists ofgtwo overlappinggcylinders I5 and l5 as shown in Fig. 5. Extending through the housing and journaled in the face plates are shafts I1 and I8. Mounted on the shafts within the cylinders of one housing are rotors I9 and 2U as Shown in Fig. 5. A similar set of rotors are mounted in the other housing, one of which is indicated at 2I of Fig. 1. Secured to these rotors are vanes 22 and 23. The peripheriesof the rotors I9 andv Ztl-are in rolling Contact with each other. The outer edges of these vanes are in contact with the cylinder walls 24 and 25 and each rotor is provided with circular recesses 26 and 21 at the base of its respective vane. The recesses are so positioned that when the rotor is revolved they become complementary to the vane of the opposite rotor, so that the vane of one rotor will intermesh with the recess of the' other as the two of them revolve, thus maintaining a tight seal at all times between thetwo rotors, and allowing passage of the vanes.

Positioned above and between the two housings is a valve casing indicated generally at 28 as shown in Figs. l and 5. Directly above this valve chamber is a steam chamber 58 and inlet conduit 29. An exhaust opening 3Q is provided at the lower portion of my engine.

Referring again to the drawings, particularly Figures 1 to 4, I will now describe more particularly the nature of the valve employed in my steam engine. As heretofore mentioned, a circular casing'28 is provided. Within this casing is -a cylindrical valve sleeve 3l mounted for both rotary and longitudinal movement. To provide this rotary movement a shaft 32 is slidably mounted within the valve casing by means of an I-bar 33 and slide members 34, on the valve. Attached to the outer end of the rod 32 by means of a universal joint is -a shaft 35 which extends through the bearing 3B at the end of the Valve chamber and has journaled thereon gear wheel 31. The gear wheel is adapted to cooperate with the gear wheels mounted upon the shafts I1 and I8, one of which is shown at 38.` Through this gearing, the rotation of the valve is fixed, and timed in relation to the movement of the rotors.

The longitudinal movement of the valve sleeve is obtained through movement of a rod or shaft 53 which extends through a packing gland 54, disposed at one end of the valve casing member. and is actuated by a lever or other conventional means (not shown). Mounted on this shaft is an arm which extends downwardly to the end of the valve sleeve 3l and is connected thereto by means of a bolt 55 or the like and radiating vanes 51 as shown in more detail in Figure 10. The bolt rotates in the arm 55 as the sleeve 3| rotates. This construction has been provided in order to keep the ends of the valve sleeve open to receive steam which enters the engine by means of the conduit 29 through the Steam chamber 58.

The valve 3l is provided with two openings 39 and 40as shown in Figures 3 and 4. These openings are disposed in a diametrically opposite and longitudinally spaced relation to each other, each extending through one-half of the circumference of the valve sleeve, and each being substantially above one set of rotors. The forward edge of the opening, in relation to the direction of rotation of the valve, is parallel to the valve sleeve as indicated at 4I and 42. The trailing edges 43 and 44 are tapered angularly or diagonally in relation t0 the forward edges and extend through slightly more than one-quarter of the circumference of the valve sleeve to a point spaced somewhat disasses 1e tant from the radial edge of the valve openings. The edge of the opening then extends radially around the valve sleeve to similarly angular edges 45 or 46 which are positioned at approximately one-half the distance around the sleeve in relation to the forward'edge of the opening, providing in all a. valve opening of about degrees.

A modified form of this valve sleeve opening is shown in Figure 7. In this instance the angular side of the opening is extended throughout approximately 180degrees as indicated at 43.

Formed within the housing and extending into the valve casing 28, midway between the rotors, are two substantially triangular ports 41 and 48. One edge of each of these ports is parallel to the valve casing as indicated at 49 and 50 to correspond with the parallel edge of the valve sleeve opening. One angular edge in each port extends a little more than one-half the length of the port. I have further provided channels 62 and 63 which extend from the inside of the valve casing slightly in advance' of-thevalve port opening'to a point substantially half-way betweenthe rotors I9 and 20, all as substantially shown in Figures 1 and 5. The intention of these channels is to provide for a preliminary admission of steam between the two rotors and their respective vanes in order that the rotors may be underpressure when the primary valve opening takes place.v

From this description it will be apparent that steam entering through the conduitwill pass into the ends of the valve sleeveV 3I then through the valve openings 39 and 40 whenever they coincide with the valve casing ports `41 and 48. The

steam pressure will then serve to rotate the rotors I9Vand 2| as shown in Figure i by means of the vanes shown in Figure 5. As the vanes of the rotors reach the bottom of the cylinders the steam will be allowed to escape through the exhaust ports 59 and 60, thence into the exhaust chamber 6I and out through the conduit30.

By means of the longitudinal movement of the valve sleeve the amount of steam introduced'into the cylinders may be closely regulated. The forward edge of "the valve sleeve opening being parallel tothe forward edge of the port opening the two openings will always coincide with each other at the same time in the cyclethus admitting steam to the cylinders only whenthe rotors are in a certain predetermined position. By sliding the valve longitudinally of the valve casing. the trailing edge of the valve opening will meet the rearward edge of the port opening at different times. In this manner the area permitted for the admission of steam is considerably reduced as the valve is moved to one side, thus limiting the time in which the rotors are subjected to steam admission.

The valve openings each extend through Vapproximately 180 degrees of the valve sleeve. Thus, should the engine be stopped when the valve openings are in a closed position in relation to the valve ports, the valve sleeve may be moved longitudinally of the -valve casing, bringing a portion of one of the valve openings `into line with its corresponding valve port. y

It is further apparent that my valve sleeve depends for support directly on the valve casing.

vaned rotary-type motor in such a manner that increased power output may be obtained and eiiiciently regulated and which fuliills all the objects of my invention. The engine will start under full load and run at high speed, is flexible in operation and makes eficient use of steam pressure. A

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved s-team engine without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modiiied forms of structure within their scope.

I claim:

l. In a' rotary steam engine, a housing having overlapping cylinders therein and rotors disposed within the cylinders,A a valve casing positioned above the rotors, a valve sleeve rotatably and longitudinally slidably positioned in said casing, a pair of Valve ports within the valve casing, one edge of said ports being parallel in relation to said casing, a pair of openings within the valve sleeve, one edge of said opening being parallel to the said sleeve, small openings within the valve casing adjacent tothe parallel edges of the valve ports, conduits extending from said opening to a position within the cylinders adjacent to the rotors, the valve sleeve being so positioned that the parallel edges of the openings therein will permit steam to enter through the aforementioned conduits before permitting it to kenter through the valve ports when the said valve is rotated.

2. In a device of the class described, a housing having a pair of overlapping cylinders therein, a pair of complementary rotors having intermeshing vanes mounted thereon, said rotors disposed within the cylinders, a tubular valve casing having a single triangular port therein extending into one of the cylinders, and a valve sleeve mounted within the valve casing and having a triangular port therein, and means for causing said valve sleeve to move relative Ito said valve casing, one edge of each of said triangular ports being disposed in an axial direction, generally perpendicular to the direction of relative movement between said valve sleeve and valve casing, and the opposite edge of both the casing port and the sleeve port making an acute angle with respect to said one edge associated therewith, said ports being arranged so that they come into communication by passage of one axial edge over the other and communication therebetween is terminated by one angled edge passing over the other angled edge, said acute angles being equal so that said angled edges are parallel when in registration, each port extending for substantially the major portion of the axial length of said rotors, whereby a single steam inlet substantially the shape of a parallelogram the major axis of which extends generally axially of said housing will be presented when the valve sleeve is rotated within the casing, and means for moving lthe valve sleeve longitudinally of the valve casing to vary the total area ofthe aforementioned parallelogram.

3. In a`device of the class described, a floating sleeve valve, for use with a rotary steam engine, comprised of a valve casing having steam inlet and outlet ports, said outlet ports hav'ng one marginal edge parallel in relation to the1\casing, and a second marginal edge of uniform diagonal taper making an acute angle with said marginal edge and extending to a point slightly more than one-half the length of said port, a valve sleeve mounted in and supported substantially wholly by said casing for both rotary and longitudinal movement, said sleeve having enlarged openings therein, one marginal edge thereofv being parallel to the sleeve and a second marginal edge being diagonally tapered to the same degree as that of the diagonal edge of the aforesaid outlet port and having a perpendicular continuation of said secondmarginal edge to increase the width of said valve opening at one end thereof, and means flexibly connected with said sleeve valve for rotating the latter.

. OLUF F. JENSEN. 

